Method and apparatus for sorting and setting double-headed chaplets



Aug. 22, 1939. w. H. WATT METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND SETTING DOUBLE-BEADED GHAPLETS Filed Oct. 13, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm $15226 ,BY/M QAZYWW M ATTORNEYS.

W. H WATT Aug. 22, 1939;

METHOD 'AND APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND SETTING DOUBLE-BEADED CHAPLETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 13, 1937 INVENTOR 40%,". .d. M

Aug. 22, 1939. i w. H. WATT 2,170,226

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND SETTING DOUBLEJ-IEADED CHAPLETS 7 Filed" Oct. 13, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

MM a. m,

Patented Aug. 22, 1939 7' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND SETTING DOUBLE-BEADED CHAP- LETS William 'H. Watt, McKee'sport, Pa., assignor to Columbia Radiator Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 13,

'7 Claims.

a method and apparatus for sorting and setting double-headed chaplets which I utilize in connection with such radiator manufacture. As the term is herein used, a double-headed chaplet consists of a slender stem or shank at each extremity of which a disk-like head is disposed.

In manufacturing radiators of the above types in accordance with prior practice, wire chaplets are used extensively at certain stages in the manufacturing procedure but have been applied to the appropriate mold pattern or core by hand. This has not only resulted in retarding the entire procedure of making and assembling radiator molds and cores but has had the additional disadvantage of tying up workmen on a simple but tedious type of work wherein the necessary requirements of speed and accuracy are not fulfilled, especially when production of completed radiator molds ready for pouring is on a continuous production basis. If chaplet setting could be accomplished automatically or mechanically, these men could be released for more important work. Insofar as I am aware, it has been the invariable custom to set chaplets by hand and to the best of my knowledge and belief no satisfactory procedure or apparatus has been developed or devised to eliminate these manual Lil) operations. The use of double-headed chaplets has not even been attempted in prior practice.

It is, accordingly, one of the objects of my present invention to produce both a procedure and an apparatus whereby chaplets can be simply, quickly and accurately set mechanically or automatically at those stages in the manufacture of radiators where chaplet setting is required.

Another object of my invention resides in obviating the difiiculties and disadvantages inherent in the prior practice of setting chaplets and in introducing new procedure and new apparatus which have further advantages peculiar to themselves.

A further object of my invention resides in ting the same on the molds, flasks, cores or other parts used in casting radiator shells or sections while at the same time eliminating hand or manual setting of chaplets as hitherto practiced.

A still further object of my invention resides 1937, Serial No. 168,708

in the provision of a chaplet sorting box wherein double-headed chaplets are prepared for setting by aligning' them in a series of tubes.

A still further object of my invention resides in a setting double-headed jig provided with magazine tubes for setting chaplets and to which magazine tubes the chaplets are transferred after their prepartion in the sorting box.

Other and further objects and advantages reside in the detail-ed procedural and structural features hereinafter described and claimed and in such other features as will be understood from or pointed out in the subsequent description.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the various views:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a chaplet sorting box in accordance with my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View, with parts broken away, of the sorting box of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the setting jig of my present invention in operative association with a flask or mold and showing connection to an air hoist;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of certain parts of the setting jig with portions broken away and in section;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the setting jig on an enlarged scale;

Fig. '7 is a plan view of a drag flask utilized in connection with the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on line VIII-VIII of Figs. and

Fig. 9 is a transverse section through the drag flask of Fig. 7 taken on line IX--IX of that figure;

Fig. 10 is a transverse section through a complete assemby ready for pouring or casting of a radiator section;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line XI-ifl of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a typical sand core utilized in connection with the present invention;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a chaplet of the kind herein utilized; and

Fig. 14 diagrammatically indicates the stages of the chaplet setting operation.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 which illustrate a sorting box which is used to prepare doubleheaded chaplets for the setting jig shown in Figs. 3 to 6, the numeral l0 indicates a hexagonal wooden box or container of suflicient internal metal tubes ll.

capacity to receive a considerable number of the These tubes H are shorter in height than the box H3 (see Fig. 2) and since they rest upon the bottom of the box a space or chamber I2 is formed between the tops of the tubes and the top of the box. This hexagonal box is preferably made up of a numberof trapezoidal sections which are suitably held together in assembled position by metal straps l3 which pass around the box at vertically spaced points as shown. These straps are provided with hinges it having removable pintles l4 so that the box can be opened when tubes are to be removed and may be formed. in two pieces, one of which IE is removable as is clearly apparent in Fig. 1. The other piece it is formed with ears or lugs H from which threaded bolts or the like l8 extend and the piece I is provided with apertures through its terminal portions through which said bolts are adapted to pass. The parts are normally held together by the nuts [9. The strap construction may, however, be varied and may open in any suitable way to permit opening of box IE].

Inasmuch as my present invention involves the aligning of series or sets of double-headed chaplets of the type shown in Figure 13 in the tubes I i in the sorting box it, I provided such box with shaking or agitating means. Such may be in the form. of handles (not shown) anixed to the box or the straps at any suitable location and by means of which the box It may be manually agitated, but for production purposes I preferably provide for mechanical shaking. This can readily be done by providing one of the metal straps [3 with the oppositely extending metal ribs on the outer end of each of which is a suitable metal plate or bracket 2! to which a reciprocating or shaking part of an associated agitating device can be readily attached. As shown, the ribs 20 are attached to one strap l3 by welds 22 and the brackets 2! are also attached to said ribs as by the welds designated at 23. The sorting box has a bottom plate 24 of hexagonal shape provided with upwardly extending spaced reinforcing lugs 25 and, if desired or preferred, the sorting box may be provided with a carrying handle at its top, as designated by the numeral 26, suitably secured to box 10 by plates or the like 21. I

In utilizing and operating the sorting box just described, the tubes H are positioned therein and a large number of chaplets is deposited in the space l2, the tubes 1 i being of such diameter that the chaplets can pass thereinto in an endwise direction only and not transversely. Then by manually or mechanically shaking or agitating the: sorting box with the chaplets deposited as described, these chaplets gradually and successively fall into the tubes, and this action is continued until all the tubes are filled with chaplets. Each tubeful of chaplets will hereinafter be referred to as an aligned set of chaplets. As will be understood, the tubes are tightly held in place in the box by the strap structures referred to. When the tubes 5 I are full of aligned'sets of chaplets, excess chaplets, if any, are removed and then the sorting box is opened and the tubes individually removed and the aligned sets of chaplets transferred to the setting jig 28 now to be described. The chaplets are transferred from the sorting box tubes to the setting jig tubes by hand or in any suitable manner. For example, a sorting box tube full of chaplets is placed in socket 49 of magazine tube 36 and the chaplets caused to drop into the latter tube without loss of alignment. Tubes l l and 36 are of approximately the same diameter and length.

The construction of the setting jig 28 will be clear from Figures 3 to 6, inclusive, and, as shown in these figures, the jig comprises a lower or stationary plate 29, which may be made of aluminum or other suitable metal, a sliding plate 30 on the plate 29, a top plate 3! spaced above plates 29 and Bi and a series of metal rods 32, four being shown in. Fig. 5, by means of which the lower plate 29 and the upper plate (ii are held as a unit in predetermined spaced relationship. The metal rods 32 pass through and are suitably secured at one end to top plate 3! by means of the Washer and nut assemblies 33 and the rods 32 at their other ends are suitably secured in or to the lower or stationary plate 29, the sliding plate 30 being arcuately cut out as designated at 34 in order that the sliding plate may perform its sliding functions without interference from. said rods.

The sliding plate 36 is provided with a plurality of transverse series of apertures or openings designated at 35, twenty being shown in Figure 5, although this number may vary from 12 to 24, there being four such transverse series and from three to six openings in each series. Magazine tubes it pass through these apertures or openings which, however, are of sufiicient extent to permit linear movement of the sliding plate 353 on stationary plate 29 in response to movement of handle or lever 31 which is intermediately connected to the stationary plate 29 by means of a retractive spring 38 and which is eccentrically connected at its inner end to a cam or the like 39 mounted on a vertical stub shaft 40 which passes into the lower or stationary plate 29. The sliding plate 39 is provided with a hole 4| having countersunk wear or contact members 42 on either side secured by screws or the like 43 and which are acted upon by cam, 39 so that when the handle or lever 3'3 is moved to the left (clockwise) in Figure 5, sliding plate 30 is also caused to move to the left and such movement'is limited either by the cam contour or by the righthand extremity of apertures or openings 35 contacting the magazine tubes 36.

The siding plate 30 is provided with a plurality of latch supports or the like 44 which pass through and are fixed to said sliding plate 30 and which project through said stationary plate 29, slots 45 being provided in the latter plate to permit movement of said supports 44 when sliding operation of said sliding plate is effected. Each support 44 is provided at or near its lower end with a latch element 56 in the form of a small, thin plate or disc which normally projects into a slot 41 in the lower end of each magazine tube 36 a distance sufficient to retain the chaplets within such tubes until such time as it is desired to discharge or deposit chaplets therefrom. It will be noted from Figures 5 and 6 in particular that one such support and latch is provided for each magazine tube and hence the number of latching elements is equal to the number of magazine tubes and is also equal to the number of openings in sliding plate 30.

As shown in Figure 6 particularly, the magazine tubes 36 pass through upper plate 3|, the apertures 35 in sliding plate 30 and the lower stationary plate 29 and each tube is preferably provided with a tapered frusto-conical lower end 48. These magazine tubes 36 are also preferably provided at their upper ends with the short tubes or sockets 49 which are suitably secured to the tubes 36 as by brazing, welding, threading, etc. and the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. The stationary lower plate 29 is also provided with the uprights 5|! which are secured at their lower ends in the sockets 5| which are secured to said plate as at 52. These uprights, which as shown are in the form of metal tubes, have secured thereto the extensions 53 which cooperate with the upper plate 3| already described in a manner clear from Fig. 6, one such extension engaging the upper surface of plate 3| and the other the under surface thereof.

The ends of lower stationary plate 29 are provided, on their under side, with the downwardly projecting centrally disposed pointed. elements 54 which serve for registering the setting jig as will hereinafter be explained.

The uprights 5!] of the jig are preferably conneoted as shown in Figure 3 to an air hoist or other lifting means designated as a whole by the numeral 55 to provide for raising and lowering the jig as required. The details of the lifting means form no part of the present invention and are of conventional design.

It will thus be clear from the foregoing that each actuation of lever or handle 31 (to the left in Fig. 5) will cause sliding plate 36 to move (to the left) with respect to stationary lower plate 29 and as sliding plate 30 so moves it carries with it the latch supports 44 causing each latch element 46 to move out of a slot 41 in magazine tubes. 36, thus enabling a chaplet to be deposited from each such magazine tube on a flask, core or other mold part used in connection with the man.- ufacture of radiators as will hereinafter be more fully understood. When handle 31 is released the spring 38 immediately retracts it and hence again latches the magazine tubes and this happens immediately after a chaplet is discharged from each magazine tube and prevents additional chaplets from being discharged. These operations. will be especially clear from Fig. 14. The taper at the lower end of the magazine tubes provides the maximum clearance between the outer walls of tube and adjacent mold or core surfaces to prevent disturbing of sand when tubes are lowered into position for setting chaplets. -Moreover, accurate positioning of the chaplets is of importance because the dry sand core must beheld firmly in exact position between. the drag and cope molds to maintain the desired mold cavity until filled with molten. metal, thereby securing the desired thickness of metal walls in the casting. It will be noted from Figures 3 to 6, inclusive, that the ends of lower stationary plate as of the setting jig are provided at each end with lugs or flanges 56 secured to brackets or the like 5? at their upper ends by means of nut and bolt assemblies indicated by the numeral 58. The lower ends of these lugs or flanges 56 are each connected below stationary plate 29 by a connecting bar 59 provided with a central hole 60 for the passage therethrough of pointed members 54 and serve as spacers when the jig is used to de-= posit chaplets upon a sand core positioned upon a set of chaplets previously deposited on a drag flask, as will be understood hereinafter.

Referring now to Figures 7 to 9, inclusive, the numeral 6| designates a drag flask, i. e., the lower or bottom mold member of the complete assembly unit as it is prepared for pouring or casting operations. The drag flask BI is made up of the sides: 62 which are shown to be concavo-convex but which may have any other shape depending upon the design of radiator to be produced. These sides 62 are connected at spaced intervals by transverse ribs 63 from each of which a plurality of tapered projections 64 rise and these projec-' tions are connected with each other and with the flask sides by web-like portions 65. The flask has ends 66 fro-m which extend handle members 61 and each such handle member is provided with a central web 68 apertured at 69 and it is these apertures 69 that are adapted to receive the pointed members 54 of the setting jig and thus to cause registry of the magazine tubes 36 with the projections 64 of the flask in such manner that when the settingv jig is actuated as'explained to deposit a single chaplet simultaneously from. each magazine tube these chaplets are positioned on the projections as indicated at 10 on Figure 7.

The cope flask 6 l as shown in connection with Fig. 10, is identical with the drag flask 6| of Figs.

7 to 9 except that the cope flask is the reverse of the drag flask as will clearly be understood from Figure 10 and to indicate similarity of parts the same numerals have been usedbut with a prime mark thereafter. In Figure 10 the flask-core assembly is shown as ready for the pouring operation and from this figure it will be apparent that the drag flask 6| is on the" bottom, that a set of chaplets T0 is upon the projections 64, that a sand core 1| rests upon the chaplets, that a second set of chaplets l0 rests upon the sand core H and that projections 64 of cope flask 6| rest upon the second set of chaplets.

This sand core II is shown more in detail in:

Figure 12 and generally consists of a'series of bars or core members 12 made of sand and con.-

nected at each end by transverse bars 13 which lie between the handles 61, 61 of the drag 'and' cope flasks, respectively, and the frusto-conical projections 15 extend partway into the openings 69, 69' in the webs 68, 68 and serve to effect registration and spacing of the two flask members and the. intermediate core.

The chaplet 10 which has been heretofore discussed is shown in Figure 13 and consists of top and bottom disc-like portions 16 centrally connected in parallel relationship by a stem or shank Tl. So far as I am aware this particular form of chaplet has never been used before in connection with the manufacture of radiator sections in accordance with this invention nor has there been available any satisfactory mechanical or automatic equipment for setting chaplets of any type in place in radiator manufacture, but on the contrary, such operations have been heretofore carried out by hand as above explained.

In manufacturing radiator sections in accordance with the present invention, a drag flask is filled with sand of the usual type, e. g., black molding sand, used in such operations under the usual conditions, i. e., the sand is compacted by a jolt squeeze machine of usual type. The setting jig, the magazine tubes of which have been previously charged with chaplets in accordance with the foregoing description, is now 75 placed in registry with the drag flask and a set of chaplets deposited thereon and then the setting jig removed by the air hoist or otherwise. A sand core of suitable character is then placed upon the deposited chaplets and in proper association with the sand-filled drag flask and a second set of chaplets deposited on the sand core by means of the setting jig which is thereafter again removed. The the cope flask is placed upon the chaplets resting upon the sand core to produce the flask-core assembly, such as is illustrated in Figure 10, and then this flask, mold, core and chaplet assembly is conveyed to the pouring or casting department where molten metal is poured or cast into the assembly and, as will be appreciated from, Figure 10 and from what has been hereinabove described, this metal hardens around the chaplets and assumes a form determined by the shapes of the various mold parts. The molten metal freezes or solidifies around the chaplets and thus the chaplets are incorporated in the ultimate radiator section. Hence the importance of the accurate setting of the chaplets as well as requisite speed and accuracy in making up the flask-core assemblies so as not to retard the procedure of casting radiator sections as a whole. After the sections have hardened and cooled to the desired extent the flasks and core are removed and a number of sections assembled into a radiator of desired size, these operations being conventional and well known in the industry and do not per se form a part of my present invention. Conventional surface finishing operations may be car ried out on the sections and/or on the completed radiators.

The foregoing is intended as illustrative rather than limitative and within the principles and scope thereof various modifications, alterations, substitutions and additions can be made within the terms of the appended claims. These are all deemed a part of the present invention and will be clearly understood by those skilled in this art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of setting double-headed chaplets in predetermined spaced relationship on a flask or core which comprises the steps of producing a plurality of vertically aligned sets of such chaplets arranged in columnar form, transferring a number of such sets of chaplets to magazine tubes of a setting jig, feeding a single chaplet simultaneously from each such magazine tube and precisely positioning each such chaplet at a predetermined point on the flask or core.

2. In a method of making a radiator wherein a radiator section is cast in a flask-core assembly the steps which comprise producing a plurality of aligned sets of double-headed chaplets, transferring a number of such aligned chaplet sets to setting jig magazine tubes, positioning such magazine tubes over and in proper relationship to a drag flask, simultaneously discharging a single chaplet from each magazine tube onto said flask, removing said setting jig, positioning a sand core on said chaplets, repositioning the setting jig and repeating the chaplet discharging operation on said core.

3. In a method of making radiators wherein a radiator section is cast in a flask-core assembly the steps which comprise assembling a series of chaplet-receiving tubes, randomly charging a plurality of double-headed chaplets on top of said tubes, causing said chaplets to fill said tubes in vertically aligned relationship to form sets of chaplets arranged in columnar form, transferring a number of such sets to the magazine tubes of an associated chaplet setting jig, positioning said magazine tubes over and in predetermined relationship to certain of said assembly elements and discharging a single chaplet simultaneously from each magazine tube onto said assembly elements.

4. A jig for setting double-headed chaplets on a flask or core in the manufacture of radiators comprising a stationary lower plate, a slidable plate upon said stationary plate, an upper plate vertically spaced from said stationary and sliding plates, means to maintain said plates in predetermined relationship, magazine tubes extending through all of said plates, latch mechanisms on said slidable plate normally obstructing said magazine tubes, said sliding plate being adapted to be moved along the surface of said stationary lower plate and to cause said latch mechanisms to move out of tube-obstructing position and means to slide said slidable plate.

5. A jig for setting double-headed chaplets on a flask or core in the manufacture of radiators comprising spaced upper and lower plates, a slidable plate on said lower plate and adapted to move back and forth upon the surface thereof, means for effecting back and forth sliding movement of said slidable plate, magazine tubes extending through all such plates, and latching mechanisms mounted on said sliding plate, adapted to move therewith and having obstruct-'- ing and non-obstructing positions with respect to said magazine tubes.

6. Apparatus for setting double-headed chaplets in the manufacture of radiators which comprises means for discharging a single chaplet simultaneously from the bottom of each of a plurality of vertically aligned sets of such chaplets, said means including a plurality of magazine tubes held in spaced relationship and a corresponding number of latch mechanisms normally obstructing the bottoms of said magazine tubes and adapted to be retracted simultaneously to a non-obstructing position.

7. Apparatus for setting double-headed chaplets in the manufacture of radiators which comprises means for discharging a single chaplet simultaneously from the bottom of each of a plurality of vertically aligned sets of such chaplets, said means including a plurality of plates one of which is relatively slidable, a plurality of spaced magazine tubes passing through said plates, said magazine tubes being each provided with a transverse slot extending partially therethrough near the bottom thereof, a number of latch mechanisms provided on said slidable plate equal to the number of magazine tubes and normally projecting into said magazine tube slots, said latch mechanisms being retractable out of said slots when sliding movement is imparted to said slidable plate and means to effect such sliding movement of said slidable plate.

. WILLIAM H. WATT. 

